Treasure Chest
by Epsarrow
Summary: A collection of short stories so that I stop spamming the page with every one-shot I ever make. If there is a two-shot or three-shot I will name the chapters accordingly. Ratings, characters and genres on the top of each story.


Disclaimer: I do not own The River or its characters. Original idea for these stories. No copyright infringement intended.

Note: Instead of spamming the page with a crapload of one shots (because I get bored a lot in school and write tons of stuff), I'll just upload them all to this document from here on out. :) all kinds of stuff will be happening. I'll try not to make them all Lincoln POV. He's my favourite character but I should give some attention to the others.

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><p>MAIN CHARACTER: Kurt<br>GENRE(s): Angst  
>OTHER: Tried to get his character right. This story may seem a bit... weird... I wasn't really feeling the story when writing it... but I tried. xD<p>

**Kurt Bryndilson**

The hired gun. The protector. The security.

If only they knew what he was really protecting. He wasn't protecting them so much as protecting what they were looking for. Truthfully, if they did find it then they would be killed regardless. So maybe he was protecting them. But his job - the one he was really on - was to prevent them from finding it. At all costs. Even if it meant he had to kill them.

He didn't want to do that. Nor did he plan to.

But that was the last resort. And it would be shockingly easy. Sure, there were many of them, but none of them were particularly _strong_. He was a trained fighter - a trained killer.

It was late afternoon. They were all lounging around rather exhausted after a particularly rough morning of heavy storms. Now it was sunny, hot, hazy, and incredibly humid. The air was thick with perspiration. No one was fully conscious like he was. Clark was pretending to be awake while he had an arm strewn across his face, fast asleep. A.J. and Jonas were both recording, but neither of them were doing anything but laying their heads against the cameras. Tess was half-heartedly checking the deck of any damage caused by the storm. Jahel and her father were talking quietly to one another, the former with her eyes closed and the latter watching the distant trees. Lena and Lincoln were sitting at the edge of the boat, not talking, but both in their own little place.

So easy.

His trained mind carried him through the scenario.

Jonas was closest. He could simply get up and snap his neck. Everyone would take several moments to realize what had just happened. He would take that time to dispatch A.J. in a way just as quick. By then, someone would have screamed. Clark may or may not have woken up. It wouldn't make much of a difference. In this scenario the only one who may have reacted fast enough to do anything was Lincoln - he was a doctor and his reaction time was naturally fast. He would do one of two things.

One, he would run towards Kurt to try and stop him. Kurt would drop him with an easy kick to the groin or stomach and daze him with a swipe to the head. A knife to the throat would finish it. Messy, but by that time everyone else would be reacting, and he would have to hurry. The gun would be too noisy. Tess would have lunged, screaming at him with hatred for killing her son, and he would take out one arm and even a knee before shoving her over the side. A crappy way to die and none he really wished on anyone, but there were still four people to deal with. Lena would be too shocked to do anything. He could finish her swiftly and painlessly. Clark would hardly be a matter. A quick throat attack and he was done. Emilio and Jahel wouldn't even put up a fight. Emilio would try to protect his daughter but would know it was impossible. He didn't really have to kill them - they didn't even want to go near the Source to begin with. But that was his job. A painless death.

Two, he would try to get everyone else below deck. But it would be far too late. Similar to the first reaction, he would take them all out one by one. Efficiency didn't always lead to a clean or easy death.

The images nearly made him shudder.

Sure, he may have had a few bad run-ins with some of them from time to time, but they had broken through one of the first rules of his training. Do not get close to the subjects.

He had tried and nearly succeeded. But there was something about them that had wormed their way into his heart.

He couldn't stand to have a conversation with A.J. but would protect him willingly from any danger, simply because he was a part of the crew. Clark was rather unlikable at times, but had a wry sense of humour that even Kurt could appreciate on the inside. Jonas was a different story. He didn't care all too much about him. But he was a part of the crew now, despite past... mistakes... Jahel seemed to have a strong connection with the Boiuna and the Source. He wondered about it from time to time. Maybe she had some importance in this as well. Not to mention he was forming an almost... fatherly... bond towards her. He respected Emilio for being so quietly determined and loyal. There was a quality about him that he liked. He had a bit of a big brother feeling towards Lena - if something was to happen to her, the anger he would feel would be extraordinary considering he was someone who wasn't supposed to feel at all. Lincoln was strange. They disagreed often, mostly because Lincoln was too soft to make a decision and would rather die than do something he believed was morally incorrect. But he worked hard and didn't seem to hold a grudge towards anybody, often putting aside his own needs to help out. Kurt almost admired that innocent quality - except that people walked all over him. And then there was Tess. They clashed because she was headstrong and they both had different... opinions... on what to do. But she was looking for her husband. He felt a little guilty that it was his mission to take him out. But maybe it didn't have to come to that.

He knew now that he would rather protect them then continue to follow his orders.

He almost smiled at his new found friendships. He had rarely ever had them before. He was the hired gun, the protector, and the security. And that was his only job.


End file.
